CHIOGGIA

It is the sixth most populous city in the Veneto region, with 49,405 inhabitants.

The town has a unique geographical location at the southernmost tip of the Venice Lagoon, between the sea and the lagoon itself, almost suspended between different shades of blue sky and water. It is separated from the sea by a long strip of sandy shore, called Lido Sottomarina, which runs from the San Felice inlet to the mouth of the Brenta River.

The town layout has always fascinated scholars, travellers and writers, to the point of considering it a classic and much-cited example of an urban plan, a unique combination of natural morphology and practicality, given the typical local trade – fishing.

The vertical lines of the square and the canals intersect with the horizontal lines of the calli (streets and alleyways) in a regular, almost perfect ‘herringbone’ pattern. Chioggia has been an artificial island since the Canal della Cava was dug in the mid-1500s for military reasons to protect the Venetian Republic, of whose dogado (duchy) it was the second largest city.

Since the mid-18th century, it has kept its natural continuity with the mainland by an ancient 43-arch bridge, which has now been updated to meet modern mobility needs. It is still a place where you can see the extraordinary fiery sunsets on the lagoon.